


Long Shot

by Raine_Wynd



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexuality, Chuck Lives, Established Relationship, Multi, Second Chances, Threesomes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-16 07:04:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3478859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raine_Wynd/pseuds/Raine_Wynd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh had tried to live a normal life, but it hadn't made him happy. Could going back to the PPDC with Chuck and Mako be exactly what he needs?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Raleigh stared at the half-empty glass of scotch and let out a slow breath. Drinking his grief away wasn’t a solution; it hadn’t worked before, so why did he expect to do it now? Wasn’t his fault ( _this time_ , whispered the voice in his head) that the family he had made had been taken from him in an instant. Maggie had been crossing the damned street, hit by a driver too distracted by his phone to notice the stop sign or the crosswalk. She had been killed instantly; the baby she had been carrying, a few hours later, too premature to live.

Still, Raleigh didn’t want to go home to an empty house and the shell of a life he had made. He had been working for a construction firm that specialized in building infrastructure, things that made a lasting difference in people’s lives. Maggie had insisted he make a decent living, even if he’d gotten a decent pension and lifetime health care coverage from the UN as part of the PPDC’s negotiations and didn’t need to work. Raleigh looked at the scotch glass as if it held answers, shook his head at his fancifulness, and downed the rest of it. He paid the bartender and stepped outside.

He wasn’t expecting to see Chuck Hansen leaning up against his truck. Chuck looked like he’d just stepped out of one of the publicity photos for Striker Eureka. In a concession to the chill of the Pacific Northwest winter evening, his leather jacket was zipped up. His dark jeans hugged his long legs, and he wore those unmistakable vintage motorcycle boots.

“Toss me your keys,” Chuck greeted, “and I’ll take you home.”

Raleigh half-laughed. “Home isn’t where I want to be right now.”

“Not the one on NE 69th Street,” Chuck agreed. “Home with us.”

“Us?”

“Mako and me,” Chuck affirmed.

Raleigh stared at him as questions crowded in his head, but trying to parse them all was making his head hurt. Mentally telling himself he could ask them all later, he tossed Chuck the keys and climbed into the passenger seat, figuring at the very least, they’d wind up in a hotel near the airport. He couldn’t imagine why Chuck had felt the need to be in Seattle; last he’d known, Chuck was in Hong Kong, helping his father and Mako and Tendo rebuild the PPDC. Maybe he had heard about the accident that had taken Maggie’s life and the life of their unborn child, Raleigh surmised; he had texted Mako the news, and it had been a week since then.

“Tried to make it here in time for the funeral,” Chuck offered as he headed confidently in the direction of downtown, away from the Roosevelt neighborhood. “Our flight got delayed.”

“How’d you know to find me here?” Raleigh wondered.

“You never turned off your GPS locator on your phone, and since it was a PPDC-issued phone…” Chuck let his voice trail off. “Don’t worry, I only stalked you for your own good.”

Raleigh glanced at him at that. “This isn’t payback for me not allowing you to have a pity party over what didn’t happen during Operation Pitfall, is it?”

Chuck laughed. “Oh, we haven’t even started yet, but I don’t know how drunk you are, so I’m going to take you back to our hotel and let you sleep it off first.”

“My house has a perfectly good bed,” Raleigh tried to argue.

“Full of ghosts,” Chuck pointed out ruthlessly. “I’m sorry about your wife and baby, but from what you’ve been telling Mako and me, you weren’t happy, mate, even before this shit happened. Mako’s packing your bags as we speak.”

Raleigh drew in a deep breath at that, closed his eyes, and tried not to cry. He was done with tears, done mourning a relationship that had been over before the pregnancy test had come up positive. He had thought for sure that if he’d done the right things, he’d be over this hopeless, stupid, foolish yearning for things – _people_ he couldn’t have. He chanced a look at Chuck as he expertly negotiated I-5 late-night traffic and knew he wasn’t over it. Not by a long shot, judging from the way Raleigh instantly wanted to reach over and touch Chuck as he drove. He wanted to know if he was real or if this was just a case of Raleigh hallucinating from too much alcohol and not enough sleep. Raleigh wasn’t gay. It had just been a one-night experiment: something to cross off the bucket list before they’d both died in what was surely going to be humanity’s last stand. Raleigh had certainly not been missing Chuck or wanting more. He was married ( _widowed_ , the damnable voice in his head corrected) and he was straight. Wasn’t he?

His gaze fell to Chuck’s hands and the way he gripped the steering wheel as if making sure he drove on the correct side of the road required all of his focus. Raleigh was not ( _yes you are_ ) wondering what those hands would do to him if he gave Chuck another chance. Maybe he could use the pretext of…Raleigh shut his eyes and tried not to contemplate why he suddenly wanted to come up with excuses for Chuck to touch him. It had been five years; surely, in that time, Chuck had found someone to love, someone with a less fucked-up head and epically bad timing. From the email and the video chats they had had, Raleigh was certain that someone was Mako.

 _Chuck showed up tonight. He didn’t have to._ Raleigh told that voice to shut the fuck up; listening to it had never really made him happy, so why start now?

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Chuck warned, jerking Raleigh out of his slight doze. “I only know where I’m going because I memorized the damn map. Mako’s driving the rental, but both of us don’t trust GPS after we got fucking lost in the Sydney suburbs.”

“Oh good, it’s not just me,” Raleigh said. “I don’t drive downtown unless I have to.”

Chuck laughed dryly. “Somehow, I’m not surprised, given how dire the warnings the cabbie gave me about driving back. Be glad to be home; I feel like I’m trying to pilot a jaeger from the wrong side.”

A small silence fell as Chuck navigated the rest of the way to the hotel. Chuck overrode Raleigh’s token protests about leaving his truck to the valet to park. They walked past the registration desk and up to the elevator. It was only then it that Chuck’s words registered. “I thought you were in Hong Kong still.”

Chuck shook his head. “No, we moved HQ to Sydney in February. China turned the Hong Kong ‘dome into a museum. Since we’re a smaller operation, moving to Sydney was easier than trying to cram what we were doing in a quarter of the ‘dome. As it was, we had ‘lost’ civilians try to figure out what we were doing.”

“Huh,” Raleigh said and realized the alcohol he’d drunk was starting to really catch up with him. He couldn’t remember if he’d stopped at three or four drinks; he knew he’d been in that bar a while. “Did you like the funeral? I tried to do what Maggie wanted. We hadn’t named the baby yet, wanted to wait until she was at least seven months to pick a name and buy furniture and everything else.”

Chuck looked at him in concern as the elevator stopped. “English or Japanese, Raleigh, pick one. You’re mixing languages. Come on, mate, let’s get you undressed and into bed.”

Raleigh frowned at Chuck’s words. Had he slipped into another language? Drinking to excess tended to make him both excessively talkative and sleepy, he’d found, and he knew from experience he had a limited window in which to make himself not look stupid. Thankfully, the room Chuck had reserved was not that far from the elevator. He saw immediately that it was a room with one large king-size bed and a sofa.

“Go ahead and get some rest,” Chuck told him, tossing a copy of the card key onto the dresser. “We’ll head out in the morning after breakfast.”

“Thanks, Chuck,” Raleigh said, stripping off his jacket and t-shirt. “Um, where will you be sleeping?”

“Unless you have objections, with you. Mako likes sleeping on fold-out sofas, God only knows why.”

“Huh,” Raleigh said and decided he was better off just stripping down to his underwear, taking a piss, and then heading to bed. The bed was certainly big enough for them to share, and it was for one night only. _Just like that other one night._ Raleigh resolutely did not look at Chuck as he prepared for bed, and therefore missed the look of appreciation and concern that crossed Chuck’s face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chuck had always appreciated Raleigh’s lean, tightly muscled body, but even as he appreciated the sight of the other man clad only in low-cut briefs, he didn’t like the way he could see how very lean Raleigh had gotten, as if he’d been eating less and working out more. Had his ribs and hipbones been that prominent when he’d left Hong Kong? If it was even possible, Raleigh looked more half-starved than Chuck remembered, and he frowned at the thought.

Mako arrived with two duffel bags full of clothing about half an hour after Raleigh had fallen asleep. They were, predictably, the same duffel bags Raleigh had used previously. “I cleaned the refrigerator, put out the trash, and locked up the house,” she told Chuck as she set the bags on the floor near their suitcases. She then set a plastic grocery bag on the coffee table before leaning in for a brief kiss. “Didn’t look like they’d done much to prepare for a baby yet. How is he?”

Chuck shook his head. “Not good, but we knew that already. He was mixing languages and slurring words; I barely understood everything he said. Thank God he kept to Japanese and English.”

Mako sighed. “I only found an expired bottle of sleeping pills. I don’t think he’s been taking anything for his PTSD.”

Chuck shook his head. “He wouldn’t, not if he got by without ‘em for five years.”

Mako sighed heavily. “I hoped that he wouldn’t choose that route again.” She pursed her lips and visibly decided to change the subject. “I have his passport; I checked and it looks like he renewed it last year.”

Chuck breathed a sigh of relief. “Then we don’t need to get an emergency one. That’s one less hassle. You have the permission letter the marshal signed? No sense in getting all the way to Sydney only to get turned back at Immigration.”

Mako nodded. Both of them knew that a privilege of being a jaeger pilot had been getting issued special, longer-term passports as well as unlimited visas to any Pacific Rim country as long as they were traveling on PPDC business. However, they were still required to present authorization letters from the PPDC if they weren’t in a jaeger and had to go through Immigration. Chuck and Mako had brought an additional letter that would cover Raleigh’s lack of a renewed passport, had that been the case, but it was now unnecessary. Chuck hadn’t been looking forward to using that one; it was the truth stretched to the nth degree, and he knew it would trigger questions neither he nor Mako wanted to answer.

“I also spoke to the valet downstairs. They said we could leave Raleigh’s truck parked with them; I went ahead and paid for a month’s parking. He can choose to come back and sell it or just sell it long-distance, but at least this way, they won’t tow it immediately.”

“Good thinking,” Chuck said, realizing he hadn’t even thought about that. “Did you want me to order room service?”

Mako shook her head. “I stopped and got us some teriyaki. You want the pork or the chicken?”

“Chicken,” Chuck decided. It meant a lot more than it should that he knew she liked pork over chicken. It was a little thing, but for a man who’d spent his teenage years perfecting the art of saying precisely the right thing to keep people from getting too close, it was everything.

Mindful of Raleigh asleep a few feet away, they kept their conversation quiet as they sat on the couch and ate. “Think he’ll get on the plane tomorrow with us?” Chuck asked.

Mako shrugged. “He’s already committed; about the only hesitation I can see him having is that he may not know why he’s going, unless you told him.”

Chuck shook his head. “I didn’t want him accusing me of taking advantage of him when he was drunk, any more than he already could. Figured you could do the explanations.”

“Then we’ll do it together.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” he complained, but he softened his words with a kiss.

Mako smiled briefly and snuggled a little closer. For a moment, neither said anything, enjoying the closeness. Ever the practical one, Mako didn’t allow herself to wallow long. “We’ll need to get up at 0630 to have breakfast, have time to return the rental car, and get to the airport. Did you want to shower tonight or in the morning?”

“In the morning,” Chuck replied. “Sure you don’t want to crawl into bed with us?”

Mako considered a moment, and then gestured for him to stand up. She peeked at the sofa bed, seeing the thin mattress and the dip in the center, evident even with the bed folded. “I probably should. That’ll kill my back. Besides, if I’m in the middle, you won’t stealth cuddle Raleigh and freak him out.”

Chuck nodded ruefully. In companionable silence, they finished their dinner and dealt with the trash.


	3. Chapter 3

Raleigh woke to find two sets of arms curled around him, holding him tight. He had a moment of panic while he tried to figure out where he was and whom he was with, but relaxed as soon as Mako lifted her head and murmured a reassurance.

“Raleigh, you’re with Chuck and me, and we’re in a hotel.” She released her hold on him, and he was not ( _liar_ ) suddenly cold in the space she made for him. Chuck was still a warm weight on his back, his legs and arms holding him close. For a moment ( _too long_ ), he let himself dream that Chuck hadn’t been thinking of someone else.

“Need to get up,” he told her, and she moved to let him out of the bed.

“Chuck, wake up,” Mako said. “Raleigh needs to use the bathroom.”

Chuck jerked awake, then looked sheepish as he realized he had managed to wrap himself around Raleigh like an octopus. “Must’ve thought you were Mako,” he said apologetically, setting Raleigh free. ( _Told you so,_ said the voice in his head.)

Raleigh took a deep breath as he tried not to look like he was leaping from the bed, but he knew there was no mistaking that maneuver for anything else. He quickly decided to make it look like he really just needed to piss ( _not really_ ) to save himself the questions later. Exiting the bathroom a few minutes later, he found Chuck kissing Mako with the easy familiarity of a long, happy relationship. He felt instantly bad for being there so they couldn’t take it to the next logical step.

Deliberately turning away from the sight, he made a show of digging into the duffels Mako had packed. “Anyone mind if I hop into the shower before we go?”

“Not if you’re quick,” Chuck told him, breaking away from Mako. As if on cue, he reached over and picked up the room service menu. “Want to eat something here or grab breakfast at the airport?”

“What time is our flight?”

“Depends on you, really,” Mako told Raleigh, shooting Chuck a scolding look. “Ignore Chuck’s hurry to get back. Originally, we thought we might have to stay another day to get your passport processed. If you want to take care of your truck now, we can wait, or you can do it long distance. I went ahead and paid for a month’s parking. I was thinking if you wanted to get going, we could head out.”

“We’re not tied to a commercial airline’s flight schedule, then,” Raleigh surmised.

“No,” Mako confirmed.

“One of the long-haul charter planes the PPDC owns,” Chuck added. “Be a direct flight with no civilians. We just need to call the pilot and notify him of when we expect to be at the airport.”

“In that case, I want to shower and eat breakfast here,” Raleigh said. “Last time I was on that flight, I regretted not eating before I got on the plane.” The PPDC’s charter service was a no-frills affair, designed to transfer pilots and senior PPDC officials with the greatest speed to their destination with minimal comfort. No flight attendants were aboard beyond what was required for international safety requirements, and they were emphatically not food servers. As a courtesy, the PPDC had flown Raleigh back home on such a charter flight.

Nodding in understanding, Chuck handed him the breakfast menu and a pen off the center nightstand. “Pick what you want and I’ll order it while you’re in the shower. We’ll grab snacks and drinks in the terminal before we board.”

Raleigh quickly circled the items he wanted and handed the menu back before he pulled out a change of clothes from the bags Mako had packed, and headed into the bathroom to shower. His head was pounding from his hangover and he knew he needed to eat. Even so, he knew he had slept in a way that said he’d rested his body for once. He wanted another night in Chuck’s and Mako’s arms. He wanted, badly, to call out and ask for help with his shower, even though he really didn’t need it and his left arm wasn’t bothering him that much beyond the usual early-morning stiffness. He wanted to go back a week when a glimmer of hope of normalcy had existed, that he could have the perfect life he’d once imagined he’d have when the kaiju were gone. Even if that perfect life had come with its own set of strings, Raleigh would have thought that maybe it would be enough for a guy who had brain damage from piloting a jaeger solo twice. Wasn’t he supposed to live happily ever after with a wife and a kid and a white-picket fence life?

What did Mako and Chuck think he was capable of doing anyway? Raleigh wondered as he showered. He wasn’t smart like them, able to converse in mechanical engineering and do more than just sit there and look pretty. He was certain they wanted him for something, but what was it? He decided he was better off not volunteering or asking anything until they were closer to landing.

“So what will I be doing when we get there?” he finally asked when they had about an hour and a half remaining on the flight.

Mako had glanced at Chuck before she spoke. “Depends on what you want to do,” she replied. “If you want to work for the PPDC, we have a position open for you, but if you didn’t want to work for the PPDC, you needn’t worry about money or housing.”

“And where am I staying?”

“With us,” Chuck replied. “We have a two-bedroom townhouse on the western side of Sydney.”

Surprised, Raleigh looked at Chuck. “Not at the ‘dome?”

“Thought we told you what happened to the ‘dome in Sydney,” Chuck said, frowning.

“You might’ve,” Raleigh admitted. “Some things don’t stick in my head like they used to. Probably why I don’t remember if you told me that you moved.”

“Some kaiju cultists set off bombs in the structure on the first anniversary of Pitfall. Place is uninhabitable now or at least until we can afford to make repairs,” Chuck told him, grimacing. “We probably won’t since we don’t need that much space now. PPDC has offices in a secure location. We’re not building jaegers anymore, but we are using what we learned to help people and rebuild the environment.”

Raleigh frowned mentally but nodded slowly. If the PPDC wasn’t building jaegers, what were they doing? And where did he fit in this equation, especially if they were willing to support him?

“I’m surprised,” Raleigh noted carefully, “that it was just you two coming to get me.”

“Someone had to keep things running,” Chuck replied.

“We’re not in danger of anything,” Mako assured him. “Except perhaps you getting mad at us for insisting you come all the way home?”

Raleigh barked a small laugh at that. “I was trying to think of how I could come back. Maggie didn’t want to live that far away, but the project I was working was going to end in a few weeks unless I got assigned to another one.” He paused. “I should probably email my boss and let him know I’ll be gone.”

“I took the liberty of notifying him that the PPDC asked for you back,” Chuck told him. He shrugged when Raleigh looked at him pointedly. “It’s not a lie,” Chuck insisted. “The old man does want you back. He just doesn’t want to pressure you into something you aren’t interested in doing.”

 _Maybe this won’t be so bad,_ the voice in his head whispered.

“Thanks,” Raleigh said aloud, realizing abruptly that Chuck and Mako were looking at him expectantly. He glanced at his watch. “Looks like it’ll be almost lunch time when we get there. Did you have plans for the day?”

“Figured we’d just get some sleep,” Mako said. “Nobody’s expecting us to report in until we’re all rested.”

Relieved by that news, Raleigh decided to not to think too deeply about what would happen next. He pulled out his phone and tried to distract himself by playing a puzzle game, forgetting that he’d set his background to a photo of Maggie. She looked so alive; he had caught her smiling as the wind on the ferry they’d been riding had swept her dark auburn hair back.

 _You forgot all about her and the baby_ , the damnable voice whispered. _You’re supposed to be grieving, not looking forward to things._

He couldn’t bring himself to feel as guilty as that voice seemed to think he should feel, however. He was more relieved than sad that he didn’t have to tell Maggie he was leaving her, as he’d been planning on doing before she’d announced she was pregnant. Moreover, he felt more regret than grief that she was dead. He had been half-convinced that the baby had been a convenient lie, a means to force him to commit to Maggie until she’d started to show. That fact was the part he grieved over the most because he did want to have a family. He just hadn’t wanted it with someone who wanted him to use his fame to live a grander life than he was comfortable doing. Still, he’d been prepared to do the right thing and help Maggie raise their child together.

As if hearing his thoughts, Mako reached over and gripped his hand reassuringly. Raleigh glanced at her, aware that whatever ghost drift they’d shared had long since faded, so she could only guess at what he was thinking and feeling. Some part of him was shamefully glad that she couldn’t read him like she’d been able to in the first week after they’d closed the Breach.

Mako smiled at him. “If you need to, you can sleep in the car; we’re getting picked up by PPDC security. It’ll be at least an hour in the car before we get home, more if we run into traffic.”

From her comment, Raleigh deduced that she assumed he was worried about getting rest before he had to face Herc or anyone else at the PPDC. Rather than correct her, Raleigh decided to let her continue her assumption. “Thanks,” he said, and deliberately focused his attention on the puzzle game he’d intended to play before he’d gotten distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update should be later this week; I'm trying to update this every week at a minimum.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time they reached Chuck and Mako’s townhouse, Raleigh was tired enough not to care that it was the one at the furthest end of the dead-end street. He caught glimpses of a blend of styles as he moved through the two-story home. All he cared about was that the bedroom designated as his had what looked to be a queen-sized bed and an ensuite bathroom. Any thoughts beyond using the toilet, getting undressed, and crawling into bed under the covers were too deep for his level of exhaustion.

It was early evening when he woke, feeling somewhat closer to human. The bathroom, he discovered, was stocked with some unscented soap and bottles of shampoo and conditioner that didn’t smell too flowery, despite their floral packaging. A set of towels hung neatly on the dual towel bar; a cream-colored tub mat hung over the side of the child-sized bath. He took a shower and, after getting dressed, decided to unpack. The closet was a typical apartment-style sliding-door type, but someone had installed wire shelving on one side. He realized then just how much space the bed occupied. A single nightstand sat on the left side of the bed, and the bed had been shoved over in the far corner in order to permit access to the closet and the bathroom. From the holes in the bathroom doorframe, Raleigh realized that it used to have a door that swung into the room; someone had replaced it with a pocket door instead. A comforter and matching sheets in soothing shades of blue and green covered the bed. Opening the window curtain, Raleigh saw that he had a view of a small green space, currently left to grow wild with native grasses and other plants.

Turning away from the window, Raleigh finished unpacking before putting the now-empty duffels on the closet floor. Deciding to see if he could scrounge up a snack, he headed downstairs to the kitchen. The house was quiet, the curtains closed against the summer heat, and it took him a few moments of fumbling before he found the right light switches. A note was tacked on the refrigerator door.

_Raleigh – we went to pick up a few groceries; should be back by 1900. If you see this before then, call us, and we’ll figure out dinner together. – Chuck & Mako_

The clock on the microwave read thirty minutes past that, so Raleigh jogged back up to his room to snag his phone and call Mako.

“We’re stuck in traffic,” Mako told him when the line connected. “Should be there in ten minutes.”

“I’ll wait, then. What did you have in mind?”

“Neither of us wants to cook tonight, so we thought we’d put away the things we bought – mostly stuff for breakfast tomorrow – and then walk down to our favorite little restaurant. It’s just a few blocks away and the menu’s whatever the chef wants to cook, mostly comfort food. If you’d rather stay at home, there’s either pizza or Chinese food delivery.”

“Walking to dinner sounds good to me,” Raleigh decided. “And I’m burnt out on pizza; been eating a little too much of that lately.”

“We’ll see you shortly, then.”

While he waited, Raleigh explored the rest of the townhouse. From the previous night, Raleigh knew that the garage was at the front of the house. The small foyer at the front door gave three options: going into the garage, going upstairs, or heading to the first floor. Just of the foyer, a small office with a frosted-glass door sat opposite the staircase leading upstairs; the powder room was under the stairs. The living room and kitchen flowed into each other, with the kitchen at the back of the house. Upstairs, a small sitting area had been fashioned out of the otherwise dead space at the top of the stairs, where he also found the laundry closet. Mako and Chuck hadn’t shut the door to the master bedroom suite, but Raleigh respected their privacy and didn’t do more than peer into the room enough to see the neatly made king-size bed. The whole house had been done in warm, soothing tones, and felt cozy. It made Raleigh remember how Maggie had plans for doing more to the house they'd rented, but he had to remind her that they couldn't afford everything she'd ever seen on HGTV.

Raleigh made his way back downstairs in time to hear a vehicle pull into the garage. Not wanting to look too eager, he started looking for the TV remote.

Chuck and Mako stepped into the house, each carrying a small bag of groceries. “Need a hand?” Raleigh offered as he stepped closer to the breakfast bar.

“Nah, it’s mostly stuff we need to toss into the refrigerator,” Chuck said easily. “Eggs, milk, cheese, lunch meat, yogurt, orange juice, and bread. We usually eat breakfast here and pack a lunch. Mako made some guesses as to what you’d like. If she guessed wrong, we could make another run to the store after dinner.”

“I’ll take a look later,” Raleigh assured him as he watched Mako open the refrigerator door and start to put away everything. “Right now, my stomach is starting to think I forgot to eat.”

Chuck grinned at that. “That’s where we were in the store, which is why we stuck with the list.”

“I told you we shouldn’t go before dinner,” Mako chastised him. Glancing at Raleigh, she said, “He’s horrible about wanting junk food every time we do.”

“Like green tea Kit-Kats are any better than Tim-Tams?” Chuck asked dryly.

“At least I can’t get mine in every grocery store; it’s a special treat,” Mako said primly.

Raleigh’s lips twitched; it sounded like a familiar argument, but he decided he was better off not saying anything. Chuck continued to unpack the bags and hand items over to Mako until everything was put away. The plastic bags went into a bin that hung on the back of one of the under-sink cabinet doors.

“Ready?” Chuck asked.

Raleigh nodded.

The restaurant, as promised, was not that far. It had the look of a breakfast-and-brunch place that had, at some point, added on dinner service. He estimated there were between twenty and thirty tables, total, and the room was about a quarter full.

“Ah, you’re back,” the hostess greeted Mako and Chuck warmly. “Good to see you, and I see you brought a friend. Welcome, welcome. A booth in the back as usual?”

“Yes, please,” Mako said.

The hostess led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant. After waiting for Chuck and Mako to take one side of the booth and for Raleigh to take the other, she set down a single-sheet menu in front of each of them. “Water, green tea, and what would you like to drink?”

“Ah, just water’s fine,” Raleigh said. The hostess left and Raleigh saw that the dinner menu had three choices – a mushroom and leek risotto, a pesto chicken Florentine, and a Pakistani beef pot roast called pansady.

“Can’t go wrong with anything here,” Chuck assured him. “But I’m partial to the pansady.”

“Got it,” Raleigh said.

The hostess, who turned out to be pulling double duty as their server, came to take their orders. Once those were placed, Raleigh asked, “So what’s the plan for the evening after dinner?”

“Whatever you feel like doing,” Mako said. “Chuck and I have a few shows we like to watch together. If you’re not feeling up to being social, the office is soundproofed and has a comfortable sofa for reading, or you can watch the TV in there. I’m not as big of a fan of football as he is. At least you two can watch it together now.”

“And then tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, you have a meeting at 0800 with the marshal, and Mako and I go back to work. You’ll have access to a driver tomorrow in case you decide not to stick around and wait for us.”

“I see,” Raleigh said. “So is there anything I should know before I see Herc tomorrow?”

Chuck looked serious. “Don’t, whatever you do, get him started on dogs. He’s convinced now that Mako and I have a house, we need a dog. I miss Max, but I don’t want another dog.”

Raleigh grinned at that. “I would’ve guessed you’d go out and get another one.”

“Yeah no, I like not having a bed that smells like dog.”

Mako smiled at that. “I didn’t realize just how much effort it took to keep Max in line. He liked to test his boundaries, especially once he realized that I was around a lot more.”

Raleigh frowned. He didn’t remember Max dying though he was certain that they had told him that, too. Piloting a jaeger solo twice had affected some of his long-term memory; he’d come to hate that some things were more likely to expire from his mental storage and would often be things other people considered important. “If I didn’t say it before, I’m sorry to hear about Max. How long ago was it?”

“Two and a half years,” Chuck replied. From his tone and facial expression, he didn’t look as though he’d expected Raleigh to remember, nor did he seem upset that Raleigh needed reminding. “Dad’s been talking about getting a dog big enough to take running.”

“But you don’t want one.”

Chuck shook his head. “I always knew I was spoiled by how much other people were willing to look after my dog when we were on duty. Don’t really think it’s a fair thing in hindsight. Now our schedule is such that it really would be a hassle to have a dog. Did you have any pets?”

“When we did, it was of the ‘let’s scare our little sister with this’ sort of thing.”

“You’re telling me you were a bratty older brother?” Chuck asked.

“Part of the sibling code,” Raleigh replied with a small grin. “Older brothers always have to pick on little sisters.”

Chuck glanced at Mako, and Raleigh knew that Mako would’ve told him about the drunken driving crash that had taken Jazmine’s life six months before Knifehead. Tactfully, Chuck changed the subject to something less emotionally fraught.

That evening set the tone for the days that followed: shared meals with easy camaraderie, always with the option open for Raleigh to join in or not as he chose. Mako and Chuck liked to work out at a gym not far from their townhouse before going to work; they alternated it with running around the neighborhood. Again, Raleigh was free to join them or not. Over the course of the two weeks that followed his arrival, he discovered that he had forgotten just how much he hated long-distance running. He was a runner more out of the need to stay fit than a love for the exercise, and both Chuck and Mako loved to run.

Since Operation Pitfall, both Mako and Chuck had learned to cook. As a result, they were hooked on a nationally syndicated cooking show. Raleigh, who had learned how to cook long before he’d become a jaeger pilot, slowly became as addicted to it as they were, fascinated by how the chefs mixed challenging ingredients to make meals. It made for some expensive grocery runs, but the results were often worth it. They agreed, however, that anything involving za’atar was not something they wanted to try again, and that Chuck was not allowed to bake after several disasters involving forgotten ingredients.

The PPDC’s job offer to Raleigh turned out to be assisting with its new marketing campaigns. Herc wanted Raleigh’s input, as someone who’d spent time outside of the organization, on the campaigns. Would anyone who’d seen what the jaegers could do care that the PPDC was building and designing state-of-the-art submersibles, rescue helicopters, and next-generation prosthetics for the physically challenged? Moreover, did Raleigh feel comfortable being the face of these new campaigns? Raleigh gave his input but chose not to be the spokesperson. Herc didn’t look surprised by that answer; he offered a compromise: assist the marketing department by continuing to provide input and feedback, and be available to pitch in where needed. Raleigh, not wanting to spend his days bored out of his mind, readily accepted.

Via email, Raleigh closed the lease on his rental home in Seattle. The house had come furnished, so he didn’t need to deal with selling furniture. He sold his truck to one of the valets at the hotel where it had been parked and arranged for the title transfer with the assistance of the PPDC’s staff attorney. He obtained his driver’s license and, wanting his own transportation, discussed buying cars with Herc, Mako, and Chuck. Three weeks after his arrival, Raleigh was well situated in his new home. He kept thinking, though, that he was missing something important in this new phase of his friendship with Chuck and Mako. Had Chuck always been so in his personal space before? Had Mako been that prone to cuddling before? Raleigh didn’t trust his memory; he’d only spent a handful of months with them, post-Pitfall, before deciding not to stay. They were both very private people, and Raleigh felt privileged to know that they opened their home to him. He was probably reading too much into things anyway, something he tended to do when he’d had a few restless nights.


	5. Chapter 5

“He’s not picking up on any hints,” Chuck vented to Mako one afternoon while Raleigh and Herc were looking at cars. “I sit next to him. I touch him. He acts like I'm just friendly. Hell, you practically curled up like a cat in his lap and fell asleep, and he acted like you just had a Drift hangover.”

“He doesn’t remember you not being affectionate,” Mako pointed out reasonably as she folded laundry.

“He’s also not asking for anything, either. He just acts as if whatever we want is what he wants.” Chuck vented his frustration by throwing dirty clothes into the washer.

Used to such outbursts, Mako continued to fold underwear and t-shirts. “So what do you want to do differently?”

That caused Chuck to pause and consider. “We need a new strategy,” he said.

Mako arched an eyebrow before checking her phone for the time. “We have twenty minutes to figure it out. And no, we are not putting on a show for him.”

Aware that she had very firm ideas about voyeurism, Chuck leaned in to kiss her sweetly. “Not even for Raleigh?”

Mako’s face flashed with annoyance. “That is not how I want to be naked with him,” she insisted, “like my body and my love is something to be used.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, love, you know,” Chuck said swiftly. “I wouldn’t want to lose you to such stupidity.”

“Then what?”

“I thought we could seduce him together.”

“I don’t want him to think we’re pitying him. We have to be careful,” she maintained.

Chuck blew out a breath. “I still think we should’ve never given him the option not to sleep with us.”

“Perhaps,” Mako agreed. She eyed Chuck warily. “What are you considering?”

“Something a little more direct,” Chuck said. “Because he obviously isn’t picking up on our flirtation and doesn’t remember or know we wouldn’t do this for anyone else. Given what he told us about his relationship with Maggie, I’m not sure he sees the difference between friendly and flirtation.”

Mako blinked. “You want to discuss this with him? And what happens when he laughs at us?”

Chuck sighed. “Not everything needs a contingency plan, love. We’ve been playing this your way with little success. You promised we could try my way if subtlety didn’t succeed.”

Mako took a deep breath. “So I did.” She looked at him anxiously, and Chuck kissed her again reassuringly.

Setting aside the laundry basket she had in her lap, Chuck pulled her close and kissed her again, saying without words just how much he appreciated her. “You’re nervous,” he said when he pulled back.

Mako smiled ruefully. “You are not the one who would lose the only person she has ever Drifted with if this goes wrong.”

“So we don’t fuck it up so terribly,” Chuck said confidently and resumed tossing laundry into the wash before starting the washer. “I don’t plan on it.”

“Ergo it won’t happen?” Mako asked dryly before peering into the dryer to check to see if she’d pulled out all of the clean clothes. “All the men in the world and I had to fall in love with you,” she mock-complained.

Chuck pretended to buff his shirt. “Hey, you didn’t scare off like you were supposed to.”

“Told you before: if you want to scare off a girl, mooning her is not the way to go,” Mako reminded him tartly. “I just…” she let out a breath and looked at him anxiously.

“My darling perfectionist,” Chuck teased her gently. “And who was it that told me love wasn’t a jaeger I could control, hmm?”

Mako bent her head slightly at the reminder. “As if you don’t want this go as well as I do.”

“Yes, but I also prefer not to worry over things I can’t control. Other people’s feelings are usually one of them.”

Mako acknowledged that with a slight nod and let the subject drop.

Chuck knew he had to tread carefully, but he was tired of waiting for Raleigh to pick up the clues they had been leaving. The only way he saw to get this settled was to discuss it openly. He just hoped Raleigh wanted what they did.

Raleigh entered the house with little fanfare. Chuck knew he had maybe two minutes before the other man holed himself up in his room. Chuck intercepted Raleigh on the stairs. 

“Find anything you like?”

Raleigh shook his head. “Your dad thinks I shouldn’t settle for basic transportation. What’s wrong with something that just runs? Not like I don’t know how to fix a car.”

Chuck looked at him, wondering if his father had pushed Raleigh too much. “Did the old man get on your nerves?”

Raleigh sighed. “A bit. I don’t remember him trying to protect me like this before.”

Chuck smiled ruefully. “My fault; I should’ve come with you. I’d have been able to deflect some of it.”

Raleigh laughed. “No, you wouldn’t have,” he countered. “My standard of transportation is apparently many steps below bog standard, whatever that means.”

Chuck stared at him. “You took my father to the junkyard, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, so? I mean, I can understand that he’s dubious about me knowing how to fix a car. He got a little happier when we found that old Huey in the yard, but when he saw the kaiju damage on it, he made us leave without buying anything.”

“Good,” Chuck pronounced. “Because you shouldn’t have been crawling around there in the first place.”

“Not all of those cars are kaiju damaged,” Raleigh insisted. “Besides, it’s not like I haven’t been exposed already.”

Chuck swore. “Do you really think no one would care if you got hurt?” he demanded, abruptly pressing Raleigh against the wall.

Raleigh’s hands rose to protest the movement, but Chuck didn’t let him speak, silencing any argument he might make with a hard kiss. Suddenly realizing what he’d done, Chuck pulled back. Raleigh looked stunned. 

“Look, that’s not how I wanted to begin this conversation, but you haven’t been picking up on the hints we’ve been giving,” Chuck said defensively. “Mako and I want you.”

Raleigh stared at him.

“I, uh, I didn’t hurt you when I pushed you against the wall, did I?”

“No,” Raleigh said slowly. He shifted his shoulders experimentally. “So I take it you’re not this open and friendly with other people?”

“Only the ones I want in my bed and in my life,” Chuck admitted. “And right now, that list of people is Mako and you.”

Raleigh glanced down at the lack of space between them.

“You want me to step back?” Chuck asked.

Raleigh looked at him worriedly. “Would you hold it against me if I said yes?”

Chuck shook his head as he did as requested.

“I’m…I don’t know what I’m supposed to say here, Chuck.” Raleigh breathed deeply. “Or how I’m supposed to react.”

Chuck saw Mako step beside Raleigh and tap his shoulder. When he turned, she chided, “You’re overthinking this,” and kissed him.

Chuck watched as Raleigh resisted for a moment before closing his eyes and shuddering helplessly. Blindly, Raleigh reached for Chuck and pulled him close, even as he let Mako hold him. “It’s like everything I want on a silver platter,” Raleigh said, sounding as if he didn’t believe it.

Mako made room for Chuck as he slipped an arm around her so they could hold Raleigh in a three-way hug. “Believe it,” Mako said firmly.

Raleigh took a deep breath before he opened his eyes and looked at them. “And this isn’t another ‘the world is ending, let’s fuck’ sort of thing?”

“Only if you think the world is ending,” Chuck countered. “And we aren’t in danger of breaking up if you say no, and we think you’d only add to what we have.”

Raleigh took another deep breath. “How’s this supposed to work, then?”

“Could just get undressed and let us make love to you,” Chuck suggested.

Raleigh half-laughed at that. “And then what?”

“And then we give you even more reasons to stay with us,” Mako added. “You’re not as alone as you think.”

Raleigh looked at her. “You love Chuck. You always have, even when he was an asshole. Where do I fit?”

Mako grinned and shifted Raleigh so he faced Chuck with her at his back. “Right here.”

Taking his cue, Chuck kissed Raleigh again. Raleigh hesitated once more. “Take what you need, Raleigh; we’ll give it to you,” Mako said encouragingly.

Chuck felt the moment Raleigh surrendered, opening his mouth to return Chuck’s kiss. Chuck rewarded it with tender passion. Out of the corner of his eye, Chuck could see Mako pressing kisses to the back of Raleigh’s neck, massaging his shoulders, doing everything she could to help seduce him.

Ignoring whatever Mako was doing, Chuck focused his attention on Raleigh, loving how responsive he was to kissing. It was as if he was starved for it, as if whoever he had been with before had been more interested in the final act than foreplay. Chuck understood that; before Operation Pitfall, he had been more interested in quickies than romance. Mako had always been a constant in his life: the one girl he had always loved, and who had repeatedly forgiven him for putting everything else ahead of her. They weren’t at war anymore, though, and Mako was here, helping Chuck teach Raleigh that he was wanted.

Chuck nibbled a trail down the side of Raleigh’s neck before getting frustrated by the collar of the t-shirt he wore. “Bedroom, now,” he growled. “I want us naked.”

“Wait,” Raleigh said, and both Chuck and Mako groaned.

“Wait for what?” Chuck demanded impatiently.

“Time to wrap my head around this,” Raleigh said. “Because I don’t want to feel like I chose impulsively.”

“And you have a great track record for choosing otherwise?” Mako asked pointedly. “You debated whether or not to marry Maggie for a week, and we told you it wasn’t required just because she said she was pregnant.”

Raleigh hung his head sheepishly. “Okay, so maybe not,” he admitted. “Maybe I do overthink things in the wrong direction. But, guys, you’re horny and I’m –”

“Horny,” Chuck said and kissed him again. Still, Chuck had never forced someone who wasn’t willing, and he wasn’t about to start now. Reluctantly, he stepped back and gestured for Mako to do the same. “But if you’d rather we left you alone to think about this, we will. Just consider this: we’ll still be friends whether or not you join us in bed. Come on, Mako, we should start figuring out dinner.”

“I love both of you,” Mako added and kissed Raleigh.

Midway down the stairs, Raleigh stopped them. “Dinner can wait,” he said. “I just…don’t want this to be a regret. Or something you have to hide.”

“We saved the world, mate,” Chuck said. “What people think of us isn’t something I worry about.”

Raleigh nodded. “But you’ll still have to hide that you’re with me.”

“Only if you want us to,” Mako replied, “but given we aren’t that affectionate in public anyway…”

Raleigh stepped down to meet them. “Then come back upstairs and show me what you had in mind.”


	6. Chapter 6

Raleigh wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing by leading the way into Chuck and Mako’s bedroom, but they didn’t give him too much time to dwell on such thoughts. With easy efficiency, they helped him out of his clothes, pressing kisses and petting him wherever they could reach until all he could think about was how much he wanted more. He couldn’t decide whom to touch first and settled for trying to touch both of them at the same time, trading kisses and trying to get them to shed their clothing.

It had felt like an eternity before they were all on the bed. Torn between choosing one over the other, Raleigh licked and sucked Mako’s nipples before turning to Chuck and doing the same. He felt them both shudder with pleasure at his ministrations. Chuck then shifted and bent his head to suck on Raleigh’s cock. Raleigh sucked in a sharp breath and then let it out as Mako moved to kiss him deeply. She broke it off to whimper, and Raleigh lifted his head to see Chuck was using his free hand to stroke Mako’s pussy.

“No fair,” she complained. “I want to suck him too.”

“Then get down here,” Chuck suggested.

Raleigh shuddered at the mere thought, and then trembled some more as the thought became reality. Mako and Chuck traded licks and sucks as though they couldn’t get enough. Passion was a heady drug in his system, and he’d forgotten it could feel this good, this intense. “Gonna…can’t hold it,” he panted.

“So don’t,” Mako said, ever practical.

Raleigh glanced down in time to see Chuck swallow the load he’d delivered. Mako kissed him, distracting him from whatever Chuck was doing and whispered in his ear. “I want you to lick me until I come,” she requested. “Here, let me get under you.”

Raleigh’s eyes widened; he’d forgotten his former copilot had both a well-rounded sexual education and the encouragement to embrace her sexual desires as long as she was discreet and careful. He just hadn’t expected to suddenly find her typical bluntness to be sexy. “As you wish, m’lady.”

Mako grinned and kissed him before she lay down. Scooting back, Raleigh moved until Chuck stopped him.

“One more thing before we go too far,” Chuck said, sounding serious. “You okay with me inside you, Raleigh?”

Raleigh shivered at the mental image that produced, but he knew he wanted it. “Just go slow. It’s been a few years.” He didn’t mention it had been Chuck; he figured that was his secret to keep.

That got him a kiss on his shoulder. “If it’s too much, tell me red, all right?”

Raleigh did not intend to let that word escape his lips. He focused instead on paying attention to Mako, to licking and nibbling around her mound, teasing until she grew impatient and he took the cue to lick a long stripe down her clit. He could feel Chuck preparing him, his fingers a thick presence as they penetrated and corkscrewed, widening Raleigh’s entrance. Unconsciously, Raleigh lifted his hips to meet Chuck’s fingers, wanting more. He tried to focus on Mako, needing to give her the orgasm she so clearly wanted, needing to taste her as she came. What Chuck was doing was made Raleigh lose his breath as though he hadn't kept up the level of fitness he’d had as a jaeger pilot. With effort, Raleigh returned his focus to Mako and was rewarded by her moans as she came hard on his tongue.

As if that was the cue, Chuck pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his cock. “Breathe, babe, that’s it, let me in,” Chuck coaxed. Raleigh felt as though his body was electrified and all points led to his ass. He was vaguely aware of Mako patting him reassuringly.

“So beautiful,” Mako said, and Raleigh inhaled sharply as Chuck slid further in. He lifted his head to see arousal glittering on her face and knew he wanted to make her come again. He bent his head to do just that as Chuck started to slowly thrust, pushing him against Mako. Realizing if he didn’t say anything, he might accidentally hurt Mako, Raleigh patted Mako’s thigh.

She correctly interpreted the gesture. “You can make me come again later,” she said, shifting so Raleigh could balance his weight on his arms and knees, and kissed him before ducking out of the way. Raleigh glanced over his shoulder to see Chuck and Mako kissing, and his eyes widened as he realized they weren’t keeping it a closed-mouth kiss. It was the filthiest kiss Raleigh had ever witnessed, and it turned him on even more.

Chuck then began thrusting again, distracting Raleigh, and kissing what skin he could reach. Mako moved to where she could stroke Raleigh’s cock back to hardness, and all the sensations washed through Raleigh like a tidal wave. He couldn’t think; all he could do was feel. The musky scent of sex combined with Chuck’s strength and the thick cock he had was almost too much. Mako’s delicate hands were calloused from her bō training and the rough touch was a reminder of everything Raleigh found sexy. He closed his eyes as desire pounded through his blood, and then gasped as he realized Mako had shifted again, moving underneath him to suck him to full hardness.

“You like?” Chuck asked, smug satisfaction in his voice as he punctuated his question with a thrust that put more of Raleigh’s cock in Mako’s mouth.

Raleigh could only moan. He didn’t normally have this good of recovery time, but it had been weeks since he’d last gotten laid. He didn’t want to think too deeply why this felt so good, so he reached back to pull Chuck closer in response.

Chuck laughed huskily. “Good. You feel so good on my cock, gonna make you come so Mako can taste you.”

Raleigh arched helplessly at that promise and moaned again. He couldn’t decide which way to go – forward into Mako’s mouth or back onto Chuck’s cock. He was going to walk funny later, but he didn’t care; all he knew was how good this felt. Mako didn’t seem to have a problem with his length, and from the way she was sucking on him, it felt as though she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Raleigh didn’t want this to end. Chuck was hitting his prostate and it felt so good; that thick cock was splitting him open and filling his ass. Raleigh was nothing more than a vessel for passion as he came so hard his vision whited out. He heard and felt Chuck’s groan as he came a moment later, triggered by Raleigh’s orgasm. With an effort, Raleigh managed not to collapse on Mako, but as soon as he felt her move clear, he collapsed to the bed, spent. He was vaguely aware of Mako and Chuck kissing before he fell asleep.

He woke some time later to find Chuck snuggled against him. At the slight movement, Chuck lifted his head. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he teased before he kissed him.

“How long have I been out?”

“Bout twenty minutes.”

“Where’s Mako?”

“Brushing her teeth. I’m to tell you to get cleaned up so we can order pizza and fool around some more.”

Raleigh studied the other man. “You think it’s going to be this easy.”

“Well, if you want drama, we can have a big knockdown fight like we did once; pretend like we both don’t love Mako; and aren’t two bi guys who happen to have the perfect woman to share,” Chuck noted dryly. “Me, I’d rather we didn’t. I’d rather spend time like this, holding you, talking with you, and falling the rest of the way in love with you.”

Raleigh jerked at that and got out of bed. “You shouldn’t.”

“Says who?” Chuck followed him out of the room and into the hallway. “Look, I’m not saying it’ll be easy or that we won’t occasionally fight. We wouldn’t be the people we are if we didn’t have opinions. But if the sex we just had is anything to go by, we have a good start.”

Raleigh closed his eyes briefly. _He’s just saying that_ , the voice in his head whispered.

“Hey,” Chuck said, pressing close. “You know you can talk to us, right? What’s got you scared?”

“That I’ll wake up and this will be a dream,” Raleigh confessed.

Chuck considered that a moment. “Well, I don’t usually have kinky sex dreams like that. Something you want to share, Raleigh?”

Raleigh barked a laugh at that just as Mako joined them. “You really think we can make this work.”

“What makes you think we can’t?” Mako asked. “Your relationship with Maggie doesn’t count because she pressured you into marrying her.”

Raleigh looked at them helplessly. He knew how determined they both were; maybe, just maybe, they were onto something. “Maybe I need more convincing,” he allowed.

Chuck looked at Mako. “Sounds like he’s challenging us.”

“So he is,” Mako agreed, and kissed Raleigh. “We’ll do our best to show you every day,” she promised as Chuck stepped in for his turn to kiss him reassuringly.

Raleigh’s remaining resistance fell in the face of such assurance. “Then maybe I should get dressed and help you guys fix dinner.”

“Maybe,” Chuck agreed. He leered. “Or we could just go back to bed and make out some more.”

Raleigh laughed helplessly as he shot a look at Mako. “Is he always this horny?”

“Why do you suppose I need your help?” she joked.

“Oi, and whose idea was this anyway?” Chuck shot back.

Raleigh raised an eyebrow. “You mean it wasn’t yours?”

“Well,” Chuck drawled, “I might’ve suggested some strategy.”

Raleigh stared at them and decided it was better to leave that as it was. “In that case, can I suggest we make out later after I’ve showered and had something to eat? I’d like to talk about how we’re going to make this work and not get distracted by sex.”

“I’m beginning to agree with Mako; you’re overthinking this,” Chuck said. “We already know each other as friends. What more are you concerned about?”

Raleigh considered. “How it changes our friendship.”

“Ah,” Chuck said. “Well, for me, it changes little; I’ve wanted you for a while. Now I don’t have to hide it when we’re home. Mako?”

“The same.”

Raleigh’s eyes widened. “So we’ll still talk and fight and everything else like normal.”

“You thought we’d suddenly transform into some other people just because we had amazing sex?” Chuck asked, bewildered.

“Told you,” Mako chimed in.

“Maggie did. She wasn’t as pretty on the inside as I thought she was.”

“We’re not her,” Chuck said flatly. “Compare us to her one more time and we’ll have more than words.”

Raleigh stared at them and realized he really didn’t have that much to worry about…and that he was starting to feel chilled, standing there naked. “I should go shower before I get cold.”

Chuck kissed him reassuringly as Mako grasped his hand. “Want us to scrub your back?”

“Maybe another time,” Raleigh said firmly and escaped to his room before Chuck and Mako could convince him otherwise. They were, as Chuck had pointed out, friends. Becoming lovers was an evolution of that friendship, and Raleigh needed them in his life. Trying for a perfect life hadn’t worked for him; being with them was the happiest he’d been in years. Raleigh knew they would have problems; every relationship did eventually, but he felt confident they’d get through them. Mako and Chuck were too determined to succeed for them to fail, and Raleigh wanted this to work just as much.

He wasn’t surprised when he stepped out of the shower to find Chuck and Mako offering to towel him dry. Laughing, he kissed them each in turn and tried to give back as much pleasure as they’d given him. Dinner wound up being very late that night, but none of them minded. That night and over the course of the following week, they spent some time talking about what they expected and wanted. Slowly, what had been a solid friendship among three very determined, passionate, and strong-willed people evolved into a solid and passionate triad until Raleigh couldn’t imagine his life without Mako and Chuck in it, loving them as they loved him.


End file.
